Garment-stay.



E. L. SPANGLER.

GARMENT STAY.. I APPLICATION FILSD NOV. 6, I916.

Patented Oct. 2,1917.-

WEED s'rarns Parana orr on.

ERNEST L. SPANGLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GARMENT-STAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1916. Serial No. 129,709.

wearer.

The stay proper, or stiffening element, in an article of wear for the supporting and shape-giving purpose, is a flat blade of clas tic material, more usually thin metal and less frequently whalebone, celluloid, or the like; and this is commonly confined in an elongated sheath, which may be one body stitched to such article or be formed by stitching together a narrow section of the inner and outer layers of cloth of which such, article is made; or the sheath may be formed by laying a tape, or narrow strip of cloth on the inner layer of the article of wear and stitching it along its edge-portions through I both layers to reinforce them, the stiffening medium being confined in the sheath thus provided.

It is the more common practice to confine these stiffening blades in their sheaths by stitching the latter along their longitudinal edge-portions and at their ends, the longitudinal stitching extending parallel with the straight smooth edges of the blades. This method is objectionable, however, since it permits longitudinal play to the blades, causing them to wear and protrude at their ends through those of the sheaths, and more particularly because of the frequent bending to which they are subjected in use, to wrinkle transversely, in numerous corrugated or flute-like folds along the sheaths, whereby these wrinkles on the inner sheath-faces present protuberances which, if the stayequipped article is worn over very thin garments or next to the skin, as is often the case, cause discomfort to the wearer and even chafing of the skin.

I know of a construction of dress-stay which tends to overcome some of the objections referred to. It involves a stiffening blade serrated along its opposite edges and having a confining sheath of fabric so woven about it, to constitute the fabric and blade L. SPANGLER,

an integral whole, as to draw the threads between the edge-teeth in the blade and .thereby fasten the latter against endwise movement in the woven sheath; However, that construction is not only expensive and provides an unduly thick stay, while stays should be as slender as possible to lend to the body on which they are worn the appearance of slenderness, but the edge-serrations tend to irritate the flesh of the wearer, with attendant discomfort, and to wear the fabric.

I overcome all'these objections by providing a stay blade ofthe kind referred to, having at least one edge, or preferably both edges, scalloped, whereby the lobes present Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

comparatively broad surfaces to bear against T the body of the wearer. Moreover," the seallops enable the blade to be fastened against longitudinal movement in its sheath by stitching through the latter along the scal lops in a manner to follow the edge-contour of the blade whereby it is immovably secured inplace; and, incidentally,the sealg loped line of stitches renders the stay attrac;

tively ornamental and enhances the appear'-' ance of the article providedwith it.

l/Vhile, as aforesaid, my improvement is intended for use on all articles of wearing apparel for which it is adapted, I have more especially devised it for corsets and there-' fore confine thereto the description hereinafter contained and illustrate it in that connection in the accompanying drawing, in wh1ch F igure 1 1s an lnner face view of a portion of a corset provided with stays of my -1mproved construction; Fig. 2 is an enof adequately thin sheet-steel and has its edges scalloped, as shown at 6,- Fig. 2, pref e'rably by stamping, and each blade used in the corset (only three being indicated in Fig. 1) is confined under a cloth stri 7 stitched along its straight infolded e ge portions, as represented at 7*, and at its opposite ends, the stitches penetrating both layers 4; and 4 whereby the strip 7 reinforces'these layers to prevent the stitches pulling ou and f rm a h a h r QllfiIlp ing the blade. Obviously, if the layers be of sufliciently heavy material the blade may be stitched along its opposite edges between them, thereby forming the blade confining sheath. lVhen the blade has been confined in place, the pocket is stitched along the cave surface innermost, since the blade is thereby stiffened against tendency to become more or less twisted under the various or relatively contrary strains to which it may be subjected at different parts of the corset by the movements'of the respective parts of the body crossed by thestay.

From the foregoing description of my inprovement, it will be apparent that its use does not appreciably thicken the article provided with it, but serves to lend a comparatively slender appearance to the body of the wearer; that the lobes of the scalloped edges of the blades not only adapt the latter to be fastened in their sheaths by stitching through them along the lobes, against longitudinal play and resultant objectionable puckering ,or wrinkling of the sheaths, and with the further advantage of ornamentation by such stitching, but the wide sur,- faces of the lobes, because of their expanded flatwise bearing against the body of the user, cause a garment or article provided with my improvement to be worn with comfort. The preferred curvature of the blades is too slight to impair the desirable flatwise pressure of the lobes 6 against the person,

by Letters Patent is 1 Asa new article of manufacture, a garment-stay blade having a longitudinal edge formed of convex curves in uninterrupted series, said curves resembling segments of circles and presenting expanded lobes.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a garment-stay blade of sheet-metal having its opposite longitudinal edges formed of convex curves in uninterrupted series, said curves resembling segments of circles and presenting expanded lobes.

3. A garment-stay comprising a sheath and a scallop-edged blade fastened therein by stitching through the sheath, the stitches extending along and conforming to the scallops.

4;. A garment-stay comprising a sheath and a sheet-metal blade provided with scalloped edges and fastened in the sheath by stitching therethrough, the stitches extend-- ing along and conforming to the scallops.

5. A corset or like article provided with stays, each stay. comprising a sheath on the article and ascallop-edged blade fastened in the sheath by stitching, with the stitches extending along and conforming to the scal- 10 s.

A corset or like article provided with stays, each stay comprising a sheath on the article and stitched along its longitudinal edges through said article, and a longitudinally concavo-convex sheet-metal blade provided with scalloped edges and fastened in the sheath by stitching therethrough with the stitches extending along and conforming to the scallops.

ERNEST L. SPANGLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

